A back pack for underwater diving generally is worn by a diver to secure the diver to his underwater breathing gas tank (hereinafter, “gas tank”). The diver's back is on one side of the backpack and a gas tank is on the other side of the back pack.
The back pack may have a strap that joins the gas tank to the back pack for a diver's use during diving. The strap length as it surrounds the gas tank is generally lessened to tighten the gas tank connection to the back pack. Once the desired length around the gas tank is reached to properly keep the gas tank connected to the back pack, the length of the strap is generally fixed by a device such as a cinch that is hereinafter referred to interchangeably as a buckle.
The buckle generally permits the length of the strap to be adjusted as desired for a tight fit during the dive and thereafter a loose fit such that the gas tank may be replaced. For example, one such buckle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,084 where a buckle is shown located on the side of the gas tank farthest away from a diver's back. The buckle is left unprotected on the surface of the its gas tank such that any structure that the diver may inadvertently hit or any object, including another diver may hit the buckle on the exposed surface where it is located. Unfortunately, such a buckle may become unlatched when struck such that its strap can loosen such that the gas tank may separate from the back pack.
The invention seeks to provide a back pack that offers greater protection than heretofore known for a back pack that includes a buckle that secures the backpack to the gas tank. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.